Derek Johnson

Derek Johnson graduated from the Boston College Law School in 2007 after majoring in English and philosophy at Cornell.  He says he felt very well-prepared for law school, and not just academically.

Outside of the classroom he was co-editor-in-chief of The Cornellian, along with Liz Birkel '04, and appropriations chair of the Student Senate.  He also served on numerous other committees, from faculty searches to the Media Board.

"From it all I learned how to manage a massive amount of responsibility, how to represent myself well to others, and how to take the lead and let others do the same," Johnson says.

"I was also able to really figure myself out," he adds, "which I think is a critical prerequisite to law school. I think you should at least have some sense of what you want before you get there, because it's all too easy to lose track of yourself in the pressure of career building."

He advises students considering law to "take every advantage of Cornell's unique opportunities. It isn't everywhere you can take a full course load and still have time to be involved all across the spectrum of campus life," he says.

In 2005-06, Johnson was one of 10 Boston College Law School students chosen to participate in its London Program. He studied international and European Union law at King's College London for a semester and worked with JUSTICE, one of England's leading human rights organizations.

Following his bar exam, he'd like to pursue international policy development and possibly foreign affairs in Boston or Washington, D.C.